Archive for July, 2009

Misunderstood and misdiagnosed, fibromyalgia is a complex disease that mostly affects women and promises them a life largely overrun with pain. Until recently, very little has been understood about the condition, but now some research is starting to help take the mystery out of the disease.

The Intensive Care Unit of a hospital is a place designed to maximize survival of high risk patients, but while it excels in this manner, the stresses of the environment can be extreme for some patients and can lead to a damaging condition called ICU Psychosis.

Hemochromatosis, a condition that primarily affects men, is considered to be the most common genetic disorder among Northern Europeans with 1 in 10 carrying the genetic mutation and 1 in 200 affected by the disease that causes accumulation of iron in organ tissues and can be fatal.

With the recently announced costs of health care reform pegged at 1 trillion dollars, many are asking whether spending the money makes sense. When compared to how much the current system is costing, the real question should be how fast can we reform the system.

Alternative medicines are called alternative often simply because no one has proven their effectiveness in scientific studies. However, with no incentive for pharmaceutical companies to test common remedies without the patent possibilities, other organizations are filling the void.

From the response to the H1N1 flu, we can see that our governments do have the ability to unite behind an urgent issue and can promote corrective action. Sadly, with a crisis bigger than any flu, the rate of obesity continues to rise without any national plan.